Quality of Surveillance Impacts the Colitis-Associated Advanced Neoplasia Risk: A Multicenter Case-Control Study

Although colorectal cancer (CRC) surveillance is embedded in clinical inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) practice, a subset of patients still develops advanced neoplasia (AN) (high-grade dysplasia [HGD] and/or CRC). We aimed to assess the impact of surveillance quality on AN risk in IBD.

In this multicenter case-control study, we searched the Dutch nationwide pathology databank to identify IBD cases with AN and controls with indefinite or low-grade dysplasia. The surveillance colonoscopy preceding the index lesion (first indefinite for dysplasia [IND]/low-grade dysplasia [LGD] or AN) was used to assess the impact of surveillance quality. We assessed intervals, bowel preparation, cecal intubation, and absence of inflammation as primary quality indicators. In addition, we assessed chromoendoscopy, endoscopist expertise, hospital setting, and biopsy strategy. Associations of quality indicators with AN risk were determined with multivariable logistic regression analyses with Firth's correction.

We included 137 cases and 138 controls. Delayed intervals (58.2% vs 39.6%) and active inflammation (65.3% vs 41.8%) were frequently present in cases and controls and were associated with AN (delayed interval: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-3.81; P = .03; active inflammation: aOR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.33-4.61; P < .01). Surveillance compliant with primary quality indicators was associated with a reduced AN risk (aOR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.22-0.91; P = .03), similar to chromoendoscopy (OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.01-0.89; P = .01). Other indicators were not significantly associated with AN.

Surveillance compliant with primary quality indicators is associated with a reduced colitis-associated AN risk. Delayed surveillance intervals and active inflammation were associated with an increased AN risk. This underlines the importance of procedural quality, including endoscopic remission to optimize the effectiveness of endoscopic surveillance.